Airplane toy



Sept. 7,1926. 1,599,280

- c. A. LEWIS I AIRPLANE TOY Filed Sept. 19, 1925 Patented Sept. 7,1926.,

UNITED STATES CHARLES A. LEWIS, OF DAYTON, OHIO.

AIRPLANE TOY.

Application filed September 19, 1925. Serial No. 57,460.

This invention relates to toy airplanes.

The main object attained in the invention is a foldable toy airplane, orany similar gliding toy which is adapted to be folded longitudinally ofits body with one plane superposed upon the other and projected into orreleased in the air at an elevation, a particular feature of novelty ofthe toy consisting in tension means applied to the planes to cause thesame to be self-opening when the toy is released, thus to insure theglid: ing movement as the toy gradually descends to the ground.

The toys in view of their small bulk when folded fiat and packed inquantities and their self-opening feature are especially adaptable forbroadcast a-dvertisingby means of airplane distribution, as the same canbe printed with an advertisement, taken aloft in large quantities anddistributed over a city or over crowds with unusual advertising effeet,as the descending planes in varied colors never fail to attractattention and they are picked up and retained by those who recover them.

As individual toys for children, and in no small degree for adults, theairplanes have a fascinating attraction, similar to that of kit-es, foroutdoor recreation, the planes being furnished in sets of varied colorswith means to project and release all in the air at the same time, theindividual planes gliding to the ground in different directions and atvaried distances. Thus the sport lends itself readily to games orcontests in seeing which planes can be caused to glide the greatestdistance or land nearest a goal, etc., their performance being of suchvaried character that the greatest interest results in the games.

Toys and advertising devices of this character must be very cheap. It isalso desirable that they should be reasonably durable so that the samecan be projected for fiight an indefinite number of times. To this endthe means provided to tension the planes serve the double purpose ofmaking the planes foldable and self-opening and also of making the toysmore substantial.

In the accompanying drawings my im proved toy is shown in the form of agliding airplane, this being for the purpose of illustrating theprinciple of the invention, it being apparent from the nature of theinvention that the same is readily adaptable to varied modifications,such as gliding toys shaped and colored like different kinds of tures ofairplane construction consisting of the body or fuselage 1, main lanes2, tail planes 3, cowl 4, the body, as S1OWI1 in Fig. 3. being V-shapedin cross section. As here shown the forward end of the body is providedwith a weight element 5 to balance the plane when the same is in glidingmovement.

The tension element applied to'the main planes and also to the tailplanes to adapt the same to be foldable and self-opening to normalposition, consists of a wire 6 arranged along the upper edge of thefuselage on both sides, along on or both edges of the main planes andthe forward edges of the tail planes, the normal extension of the wirebeing in planes coinciding with those of the main and tail planes whenthe same are in 0 en or unfolded relation. Thus when the p anes arefolded as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, sufficient tension is given tothe wire to cause the same to react to normal position upon releasing ofthe toys when the same are cast into the air, the opening of the planebeing positive and snappy, thus causing thetoys to appear animated asthe same open to the gliding movement.

Any suitable meansmay be employed for casting the toys in the air whenthe same are projected from the ground. Such means are here shown asconsisting of two opposite pieces of paper board 7 adapted to besuperposed one upon the other with the toys be- .tween the boards. Arubber. band 8, fastened at one end to one of the boards 7 and woundaround the boards with its opposite end free, as illustrated in Fig. 4,being employed to hold the boards 7 yieldigly together as the same arecast upwardiinto the air, the rubber band unwinding in the req uiredtime to permit the boards to separate one from the other and thus torelease I the toys therebetween which are then free to glide to theground.

It will be apparent that the wires for giving tension to the wings ofthe toy can be in one or more pieces and variously arranged. In Figs. 1and 2 two forms of arrangement are shown to illustrate suchmodifications, the dotted lines ab indicating the wire extended upwardlyalong the forward edge of the main planes, looped as at c and returnedalong the same edges and then extended along the upper edges of the bodyback to the tail planes,--d indicating the wire returned along the rearedges of the main planes and then extended back to the tail planes. Itwill be apparent, of course, that the wire can also be extended alongboth front and rear edges of the tail planes instead of along the frontedges only as shown. At the front end of the body the wire loop ispreferably turned down as indicated at c to strengthen the nose of theplane.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A toy, as an airplane, including in combination a body, oppositeplanes foldable as extended in a vertical plane on lines parallel tosaid body and a tension element applied to said planes acting to openthe same when the folded toy is released in the air.

2. A toy, as an airplane, including in com-' bination, a foldable body,opposite planes foldable vertically parallel to said body and a tensionelement applied to said body and planes acting to open the body andplanes when the folded toy is released in the air.

3. A toy, as an airplane, including in combination a body, oppositeplanes including tail planes foldable parallel to said body anda-tension element applied to said. planes acting to open the same whenthe folded toy is released in the air.

4. A toy, as an airplane, including in combination a body, oppositeplanes open normally in a horizontal plane and foldable as extended in avertical plane and a tension element applied to and acting on saidfolded lanes to open the same when said toy is released in the air.

5. A toy, as an airplane, including in combination, a body, oppositeplanes and an element applied along the edges of the planes acting tostrengthen and fold the same one plane extended parallel with the otherand to exert tension thereon to open the planes when the toy is releasedin the air.

6. A toy, as an airplane, including in combination, a body, oppositeplanes foldable on a line-parallel to said body and extended one lanefacing the otherand spring wire applied to said planes ina manner toeflect tension thereon to open the planes as the toy is released in theair.

7. A toy, as an airplane, including in com hination a foldable body,opposite planes foldable on a line parallel to the folding line of saidbody and spring wire applied to the edges of said body and planes tostrengthen the same and to give tension to the planes as the same arefolded and to open the planes as the folded toy is released in the air.7

8. A toy, as an airplane, including in combination a body portion,V-shaped in crosssection and open upward, opposite main planes and tailplanes extended laterally from the opposite upper edges of said body andfoldable relative thereto, a wire extended along edges of said body andof said planes, adapted to be tensioned by the folding thereof an actingto open the planes as the toy is released in the air.

9. A toy, as an airplane, including in combination, a body portion, openupward and foldable longitudinally, opposite main planes and tail planesextended laterally from the opposite upper edges of said bodysubstantlally at right angles and foldable relative thereto, a wireextended along the upper free edges of said body and along the edges ofsaid planes, adapted to be tensioned by the.

edges of said body and along the edges ofsaid planes, adapted to betensioned by the folding thereof and acting to open the planes as thefolded toy is released in the air.

In testimony whereof, I alfix my signature.

' CHARLES A. LEWIS.

